New Student Pdp Guide

PREPARE FOR YOUR FUTURE PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING (PDP) & EPORTFOLIOS STUDENT GUIDE

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Introduction Personal Development Planning (PDP) is a process that enables you to plan for and keep records of your personal development. It is an integral part of all programmes at UWS. PDP helps you to develop the skills you need to take responsibility for your learning, development and career progression. Engaging with PDP helps you to develop the skills you need to manage your learning and development during your time as a student, and after you leave University. Engaging in PDP activities will involve thinking about your reasons for deciding to study at University. You may have come to University with a very clear idea of your reasons for doing so, perhaps with a specific career in mind. However, once you are here it can be easy to lose sight of those reasons. PDP helps you to take some ‘time out’ to reflect on your original goals and identify and achieve the smaller steps required to reach them. It helps you to identify how your current activities fit into your overall plan for success. Alternatively, you may have made the decision to come to university with no specific goals in mind. It may have seemed like the logical next step after school or college. Or you may, as a result of your studies, re-think your aspirations and goals and decide to pursue a different path. Engaging in the PDP process will help you to think through your options, to clarify what direction you want to take and decide what steps you need to take to get there. Of course, you may be undertaking study purely for reasons of personal interest or simply for the enjoyment of learning. If that’s the case, engaging in PDP can enhance your ability to get the most out of your academic study. Whatever your reason for studying at University and whatever your goals in life, personal development planning will help you to recognise and develop confidence in your abilities and skills, and enable you to record your progress towards your personal goals. Your personal development planning will be guided and supported by your personal tutor. You can also access a wide variety of online resources and contact an Effective Learning Tutor for guidance and support on any aspect of PDP.



What is PDP? The basic principle of PDP is simple. It involves identifying your goals, making plans to achieve them, and recording your progress. PDP is a structured and supported process of ongoing reflection that you will engage with throughout your time at University. You will reflect on your learning, performance and achievements in your personal, academic and work life and make plans for your personal, educational and career development. PDP will also help you to get the most out of your time at University by enhancing your knowledge of what you learn and how you learn it. PDP focuses on 3 broad learning areas – Personal; Academic; and Career and Employability:

Planning

Personal

Career & Employability

You willFigure review2.your learning and development in each area, and reflect on your: Spheres of Learning 4 past experience and achievement 4 current needs, preferences and experiences 4 future aspirations and plans The overlapping regions of the diagram represent instances where you will identify learning and development that relates to more than one area. For instance, the ability to work under pressure to deadlines developed in an employment setting is a skill that is relevant to your ability to independently manage your workload at university.

Personal The process of PDP is rooted in your personal experience. Your learning, development and aspirations are shaped by your personal lifestyle priorities, values and ways of thinking. Your personal life provides many valuable opportunities for the development of transferable skills. For instance, you may develop excellent time management and organisational skills if you are juggling education, work and family commitments. These skills are also relevant to your academic and career development. Your personal situation will also have an impact on your academic and career choices.



Academic You may have come to University straight from school or from a previous course of study at college or university, or you may be returning to study after a long break. Whatever your educational background, engaging with the process of PDP helps you reflect on the academic skills you already have, identify what skills you need to develop, and put plans in place to develop them. Through doing this you will also identify your own preferred learning style. This will help you to get the most out of the teaching and assessment on your programme. Learning aims and outcomes are listed in module handbooks, and you will be able to judge your progression towards them through the feedback and guidance you receive from academic staff. The skills you develop through academic learning and assessment transfer to other areas. For instance, oral and written communication skills, the ability to analyse and present information and the ability to think critically and creatively are all relevant to your career and personal development. Engaging in PDP will enable you to track, record and understand your academic performance, progression and achievement and to relate your academic skills to your career and personal areas, providing a clear structure and purpose for your academic learning.

Career and Employability Employability is about more than just getting a job. It’s about having, and being aware of, the attributes and skills that will enable you to pursue your chosen career. Employers expect you to be able to define and understand the skills and attributes that you have and to communicate and give evidence of them in job applications and at interviews. Engaging in PDP enables you to reflect on your skills and attributes, developing your ability to communicate and provide evidence of them to your current and prospective employers. You will become aware of the need to develop general or ‘generic’ skills in addition to the subject specific knowledge and skills associated with your course of study. These skills are developed through personal, academic and work experience. The generic skills that employers look for include: 4 effective time management 4 planning and organising 4 effective oral and written communication skills 4 the ability to solve problems 4 being able to undertake tasks or make submissions at short notice 4 the ability to work with others and achieve common goals 4 the ability to think critically and creatively 4 the ability to learn and to continue learning More information on career opportunities is available from the University Employability Link and Careers Service.

What is reflection? Reflecting on your experience is central to the process of PDP. Reflection is a way of thinking that involves taking a ‘step back’ from your experience, and viewing it from a more neutral and objective viewpoint. Reflective thinking can be applied to a wide variety of situations in your personal, academic and professional life. You may have already engaged in reflective



thought when thinking through personal decisions, or choices about work and education. It’s a way of thinking about your past and present experience that involves analysing and making judgements, identifying what went well and what didn’t, and then identifying what, if anything, you will do differently next time. You can use question based or open reflection. Question based reflection involves asking yourself questions about your experience. For example: 4 how did I....? 4 what will I focus on as a result? 4 what will I do differently next time? 4 how will I approach...? 4 what is the best method for this? 4 what does ‘success’ look like? 4 is it possible to visualise the solution before I start? These questions are designed to help you think in a reflective way and assist you in recording, reviewing, evaluating and planning your learning and development. You can also use less structured open reflection approaches such as: 4 brainstorming 4 network diagrams or mind mapping 4 free writing (stream of consciousness approach, as thoughts develop) 4 drawing diagrams or images You will engage in various academic, personal and work learning experiences during your time at University. When you engage in structured reflective thinking as part of your PDP activities, you will record thoughts, ideas and evidence of learning related to these experiences, reviewing what you did in the past, what you’re doing now and what the outcomes were and are likely to be. You will evaluate and judge these outcomes, determining how to develop and improve on your performance and then re-set your objectives and make detailed plans of how to achieve those objectives. Reflective thought is an integral part of each stage of this process. This cycle of reflection is represented in the diagram below:

Reflection PLANNING EVALUATING judging self, determine how to: develop improve move on

Reflection

how to achieve objectives

DOING

learning through experience of doing

PDP

Reflection

RECORDING

REVIEWING

thoughts, ideas, experience, evidence of learning

reflect on what has happened

Reflection

Figure 1. The Cyclical model of PDP



Whatever method of reflection you use, engaging in the process of will enable you to become: 4 more self-aware 4 more honest in your assessment of your abilities and skills 4 more willing to act on constructive feedback 4 more open to and curious about different approaches 4 more motivated to improve 4 more able to be an independent learner 4 more confident about your abilities and skills

PDP at UWS Personal Development Planning (PDP) is an integral part of all programmes at UWS. Your School will plan PDP activities and meetings, and will decide exactly how and when these will take place and what support will be provided. In addition to these activities, there are a variety of online resources which help you to reflect on, record and present your achievements. The ‘MyLinC’ area of Blackboard, the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), contains a wide variety of resources. A wide range of resources on PDP, reflection, study skills, employability and ePortfolio can be accessed on BlackBoard - from the ‘My Modules’ page, select ‘MyLinC to PDP’ (listed under ‘My Organisations’). This will give you access to a wide range of resources to support PDP and the construction of an ePortfolio.

What is an ePortfolio? An ePortfolio is an electronically held collection of evidence which provides information about your skills and abilities, and your personal, academic and professional development. The structured format of the ePortfolio at UWS enables you to group and present your work attractively in an organised and accessible way making it easy to update and refer to. Your ePortfolio is an ideal way to share information with lecturers, fellow students and potential employers. Your PDP activities will involve the construction of an e-portfolio which will contain evidence of how you have developed whilst at University. The process of creating the portfolio is just as important as the portfolio itself as the process of collecting evidence and preparing it for presentation requires you to: 4 decide what you should include in your portfolio 4 reflect on your personal, academic and professional development These processes help you to think about your past and current experience and formulate plans for your future development. Your ePortfolio will contain evidence from a wide range of situations; coursework assessments, skills evaluations, personal reflections, work placement experience etc. You can: 4 add content such as text or pictures 4 add content in standard templates designed to record your personal goals and carry out skills assessments etc 4 link to files and web pages 4 allow people who view your portfolio to add comments 4 share your ePortfolio with academic staff, other students and people external to the University



The benefits of engaging in PDP Effective engagement with PDP enables you to recognise, evaluate, develop and give evidence of your skills and abilities. It helps you increase your awareness of teaching and learning strategies and how these relate to your own personal learning style. It helps you to understand the value added through learning, and become an independent and autonomous learner with the ability to relate what you learn to your personal and professional life. Engaging in PDP helps you to plan your personal, academic and career progression and development. Producing an ePortfolio provides you with a valuable collection of evidence to use when writing application letters, CV’s and completing job application forms. The process of collecting this evidence will also build your confidence for job interviews as you will be more aware of the skills and attributes you have, and therefore be more able to clearly express them to potential employers. The ultimate responsibility for deriving benefit from the PDP process rests with you, and regular engagement in the process is necessary for it to be effective. The information in this guide provides an introduction to the process of PDP. Your School will have detailed plans regarding what they want you to do, when and what support will be provided.



PDP – what to expect during your programme Level 7 (1st year) Your ePortfolio will meet the expectations of your programme and serve as a personal development planning aid. Over the course of Trimester 1, you should expect to have three review meetings with your Module/ Personal Tutor to enable you to evaluate your overall performance; review the skills you have gained so far; take a holistic overview of all feedback; and revise your action plan in preparation for Trimester 2. You should also begin thinking about the relationship between skills and employability. In Trimester 2 - you should expect 2 review sessions with your tutor – one mid-trimester and one at the end of the trimester. By the middle of this trimester, you should be more confident in your reflections and be able to make connections across different modules and between different learning contexts. The ‘My Skills’ activity may well be used at this point to aid your understanding of the concept of employability. You should also begin to consider the skills you require to build a profile of yourself focussed towards a possible career. By the end of Trimester 2, you should have undertaken an End of Year Review. The table below lists the templates and activities you are likely to use during Level 7. You will also collect evidence of your personal, academic and career activities in the ‘My Content’ area of Blackboard and provide links to this evidence from your ePortfolio. Evidence from work placements or study abroad should also be included in your ePortfolio.



Level 7 templates My Profile: You will use this template to provide basic introductory information such as your name, degree programme and a mini-biography Starting at University: This template provides you with the opportunity to ask yourself a series of questions about: 4 your reasons for choosing to come to UWS 4 your ambitions for your degree programme 4 your academic strengths and weaknesses Learning to Learn: This activity will help you to think about the skills you will need to develop to make the most out of your time at University, for instance taking notes; exam techniques; understanding plagiarism and how to avoid it; and how to use the library. PAC SWOT: This template helps you to make a preliminary assessment of the challenges you will face in your Personal, Academic and Career areas. It encourages you to look at the Strengths Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) associated with your Personal, Academic And Career development (PAC) Trimester Goals: Using your SWOT analysis and other templates this template will: 4 give you the opportunity to set goals for your ongoing development 4 identify opportunities to attain your goals 4 Reflect on your achievements Significant Incidents: This template allows you to record significant incidents which might fall outside the academic or career templates, such as difficulties with fitting in work commitments, health issues or financial concerns. It gives you the opportunity to record these incidents and the associated concerns they may raise, helping you to see them clearly, reflect on them, clarify your approach and view the incidents in the context of your overall development and progress



Level 7 templates Learning Review: This template provides a structure to help you to review and reflect on your development as an academic learner in conjunction with other categories of development and achievement Feedback Review: This template allows you to collate and review the feedback you have received on assessment and from personal advisors e.g. lecturers, fellow students, work colleagues, and friends. It helps you to refine your learning goals based on your reflections Module Review: This template provides you with the opportunity to summarise your thoughts about specific modules and reflect on your achievements and any problems you have experienced in a module My Skills: Each level of study has a separate template so, for example, if you are a first year student, you would use the My Level 7 Skills template. The templates, organised as a series of self-assessment questions under 6 headings, are intended to help you to identify the attributes and skills you need and the standards to which these need to be developed; collect evidence of your attainments to date; and plan your ongoing development End of Year Review: This template enables you to summarise your thoughts about your overall progress for the academic year. Building on this you will start to make plans for the next academic year and think about the goals you will set. You will carry out a review of your attributes and skills development and begin to compile a CV using the information contained in the other templates

Level 8 (2nd year) In Trimester 1, discussion will focus on the academic aspects of your experience and discussions are likely to include a review of your activity over summer and setting your goals for Trimester 1. At the end of Trimester 1, you will have undertaken reflection on assessments, reflection on your progress in all modules, discussed your goals and achievements and confirmed your module choices for Trimester 2. You will continue to review, reflect on and develop the content of the templates and activities covered at Level 7. During Trimester 2, you will continue with the development of your PDP, reflection on assessments, reflections on progress in all modules, and discussion of goals and achievements. By the end of Trimester 2, you should evaluate your overall performance and reflect on feedback for the whole year, revising your PDP activities and preparing for the next stage of your programme. As in your entry year, you will be given guidance and advice on the templates and content required to achieve this. The table below lists the templates and activities you are likely to use during Level 8. In addition you will collect evidence of your personal, academic and career activities in the ‘My Content’ area of Blackboard and provide links to this from your ePortfolio. Evidence from work placements or study abroad should also be included in your ePortfolio. NB: If you enter your programme directly at Level 8, you should expect to complete templates and activities similar to those offered at Level 7.



Level 8 templates Learning Review: You should use this template to continue to review and reflect on your development as an academic learner in conjunction with other categories of development and achievement Feedback Review: You should continue to collate and review the feedback you have received on assessment and from personal advisors e.g. lecturers, fellow students, work colleagues, and friends. It helps you to refine your learning goals based on your reflections Module Reviews: This template provides you with the opportunity to summarise your thoughts about specific modules and to reflect on your achievements and any problems you have experienced in a module My Skills: Each level of study has a separate template so, you would use the ‘My Level 8 Skills’ template. The templates, organised as a series of self-assessment questions under 6 headings, will help you to identify the attributes and skills you need and the standards to which these need to be developed PAC SWOT: You will continue to assess the challenges you face in your Personal, Academic and Career areas. You should look at the Strengths Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) associated with your Personal, Academic And Career development (PAC) Trimester Goals: Using your SWOT analysis and other templates this template will give you the opportunity to set goals for your ongoing development; identify opportunities to attain your goals; and reflect on your achievements Significant Incidents: This template allows you to record significant incidents which might fall outside the academic or career templates, such as difficulties with fitting in work commitments, health issues or financial concerns. It gives you the opportunity to record these incidents and the associated concerns they may raise, helping you to see them clearly, reflect on them, clarify your approach and view the incidents in the context of your overall development and progress End of Year Review: This template enables you to summarise your thoughts about your overall progress for this academic year. Building on this, you will start to make plans for the next academic year and think about the goals you will set. You will carry out a review of your attributes and skills development and begin to compile a CV using the information contained in the other templates

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Level 9 (3rd Year) As some students decide to graduate at the end of Level 9, it is likely that there will be more focus on career and employability. The basic structure will be similar to that of Level 8, with the following provisos: At the end of Trimester 2, you will analyse and reflect on your third year performance, reflecting on feedback for the year. You should revise your PDP activities and prepare for the next stage of study, or for graduation. As in your entry year and/or Level 8, you will be advised of the templates and content to include. The table below lists the templates and activities you are likely to use during Level 9. In addition, you will collect evidence of your personal, academic and career activities in the ‘My Content’ area of Blackboard and provide links to this from your ePortfolio. Evidence from work placements or study abroad should also be included in your ePortfolio. NB: If you enter your programme directly at Level 9, you should expect to complete templates and activities similar to those offered and Level 7

Level 9 templates Learning Review: You will continue to review and reflect on your development as an academic learner in conjunction with other categories of development and achievement, building on the work you have done at Level 7 and 8 Feedback Review: You will continue to collate and review the feedback you have received on assessment and from personal advisors e.g. lecturers, fellow students, work colleagues, and friends. It helps you to refine your learning goals based on your reflections Module Reviews: This template provides you with the opportunity to summarise your thoughts about your Level 9 modules, to reflect on your achievements and any problems you have experienced My Skills: Each level of study has a separate template so, you would use the ‘My Level 9 Skills’ template. The templates, organised as a series of self assessment questions under 6 headings, will help you to identify the attributes and skills you need and the standards to which these need to be developed PAC SWOT: You will continue to assess the challenges you face in your Personal, Academic and Career areas. You will look at the Strengths Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) associated with your Personal, Academic and Career development (PAC) Trimester Goals: Using your SWOT analysis and other templates this template will give you the opportunity to set goals for your ongoing development; identify opportunities to attain your goals; and reflect on your achievements

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Significant Incidents: This template allows you to record significant incidents which might fall outside the academic or career templates, such as difficulties with fitting in work commitments, health issues or financial concerns. It gives you the opportunity to record these incidents and the associated concerns they may raise, helping you to see them clearly, reflect on them, clarify your approach and view the incidents in the context of your overall development and progress End of Year Review: This template enables you to summarise your thoughts about your overall progress for the academic year. Building on this you will start to make plans for the next academic year and think about the goals you will set. You will carry out a review of your attributes and skills development and begin to compile a CV using the information contained in the other templates

Level 10 (4th Year) Opportunities to participate in PDP activities at this level are built into most programmes, with the Honour’s year dissertation/project being an ideal example. PDP in Level 10 should involved building on the activities undertaken at previous levels, and you will receive guidance of the templates and activities to use, and which content to include. You will collect evidence of your personal, academic and career activities in the ‘My Content’ area of Blackboard and provide links to this from your ePortfolio. Evidence from work placements or study abroad should also be included in your ePortfolio.

Find out more To find out more about PDP in the meantime, visit ‘MyLinC’ in Blackboard to access a wide range of PDP resources, from self-teach videos on creating an ePortfolio, to activities on vital skills such as time management, presentations and essay writing - login to Blackboard at http://blackboard.uws.ac.uk

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